Ready to learn how to make oat milk? It's creamy, healthy, and made with 4 ingredients in just 15 minutes. It tastes so good!
Here you'll learn how to make oat milk, one of the most popular kinds of plant-based milk. It's light, tasty, and lactose-free, but it's hard to find store-bought oat milk that is not full of sugar and chemicals.
By making it at home, you'll make sure that your drink contains only natural and healthy ingredients, and it'll also be much more affordable! Besides, it's a great way to start switching from dairy milk to plant-based milk.
To make this homemade oat milk you only need 5 simple and easy to get ingredients and it's ready in just 15 minutes, which is awesome.
It's perfect to make plenty of other recipes and you can enjoy it plain or sweetened. Whether you drink it hot or cold, this healthy, soft, and delicious oat milk needs to be a must in your meals!
How to make oat milk - Step by step
- Soak the oats in water for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain the oats and rinse them.
- Add the oats, 4 cups of clean water (1 liter) and all the remaining ingredients to a blender (photo 1) and blend until smooth (photo 2).
- Strain the milk using a cheesecloth, a strainer, a napkin or a nut milk bag (photos 3 and 4).
- Serve your oat milk hot or cold.
Pro tips
- You can use 1-2 Medjool dates (double the quantity if they are Deglet Nour) or any other sweetener if you like your milk sweet.
- I usually make unsweetened oat milk so I can use it to make savory and sweet recipes.
- Salt is optional, but it enhances the flavor.
- To make the milk, use just 3 cups of water (750 ml), try it and then add more water until you get the taste and thickness you're looking for.
- Oat milk goes well with everything. Drink it plain, sweetened, with cocoa, or even add it to your coffee or tea to make a healthy and delicious hot beverage for the cold winter days!
- Use the leftover oat pulp to bake spectacular vegan donuts, vegan oatmeal cookies or even make energy balls or truffles. You can also add it to your smoothies to incorporate more fiber into your diet.
What is oat milk?
Oat milk is a beverage made from oats and water. It is 100% plant-based and dairy-free, and it works as a great substitute for cow's milk.
Is oat milk good for you?
Yes, it is! Especially if you make it at home, that way you can make sure to only use whole and healthy ingredients and avoid artificial additives and preservatives. Besides, it will not raise your cholesterol levels.
Is oat milk gluten-free?
Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they sometimes can be contaminated with gluten. So if you have gluten sensitivity or suffer from gluten intolerance, remember to buy certified gluten-free oats to make this recipe.
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How To Make Oat Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats
- 3-4 cups water, I make my oat milk using 4 cups or 1 liter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup or 1-2 Medjool dates, optional
- A pinch of salt, optional
Instructions
- Soak the oats in water for at least 30 minutes. I usually soak them overnight, but that’s not necessary.
- Drain the oats and rinse them. Discard the soaking water.
- Add the oats, 3 to 4 cups of clean water (750 ml-1 liter) and all the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your oat milk.
- Strain the oat milk using a cheesecloth, a strainer, a napkin or a nut milk bag.
- Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can use 1-2 Medjool dates (double the quantity if they are Deglet Nour) or any other sweetener if you like your milk sweet.
- I usually make unsweetened oat milk so I can use it to make savory and sweet recipes.
- Salt is optional, but it enhances the flavor.
- To make this oat milk, use 3 cups of water (750 ml), try it and then add more water until you get the taste and thickness you’re looking for.
- Use the pulp to bake spectacular vegan donuts, vegan oatmeal cookies, or even make energy balls or truffles. You can also add it to your smoothies to incorporate more fiber into your diet.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in March of 2020, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in February of 2022.
Sara says
I just made this today. I soaked the oats overnight. I rinsed for about 15 minutes and then strained with a bit milk bag. Added the water, vanilla, and maple syrup then and blended. When I was straining again to get the pulp out and separate that from the milk, it was even more slimy, and it was far from the white posted in your pictures. And now sitting in the fridge, it’s separating.
Did I do something wrong???
madeline says
oats shouldn’t be blended more than 30 seconds at a time, it starts to heat up as you blend which makes the milk slimy. make sure to soak in cold water and then blend with cold water 🙂
Amelia says
Hi Losune. You linked to a recipe for donuts as something you could use the leftovers pulp for, but the recipe does not call for leftover pulp and when folks in the comment section asked if you could use it, you said not to. Have you changed your mind on this? Since we are here, have you changed your mind about using coconut milk as the only kind of plant milk for the donuts? I'm doing super-low fat at the moment and coconut milk has a lot of fat in it so an alternative suggestion would be lovely if possible.
Iosune Robles says
Hello Amelia, you can use any type of milk for the donuts recipe but if you don't use the coconut one they won't be as fluffy as these ones.
Have a nice day!
Jen says
How long does the milk stay fresh?
Iosune says
Hi Jen! I talk about it in the recipe box 🙂
frances says
I look forward to trying this recipe. It would be good if the recipe stated that you are using rolled oats/flaked oats, not groats or oatmeal.
Iosune says
Hi Frances! Any type of oats will do. I've made this recipe using rolled and also quick oats 🙂
Carol Horne says
Why has my previous comment about phytic acid not been posted publicly? I’d have been interested in your take on it- as, I suspect, a lot of people are unaware of the issue. Information is choice...
Thanks
TFussy says
Why do you discard the first soaking water?
Thank you
Iosune says
Hi! To get a better consistency 🙂
Eric Claeyborn says
It seems like discarding the first water that was soaked with oats would be discarding nutrients. I'm looking at a lot of oat milk recipes before I decide, how I'm going to make it.
Iosune Robles says
That's perfect Eric 🙂 Have a nice day!
Denise Miceli says
I am hooked on Oatly Barista Creamer! Addicted is more like it! Is there a way to make it creamy like the Oatly Cream brand? It's the bomb!
Thanks!
Iosune says
Hi Denise! Thanks a lot 🙂 I've only made the recipe this way, sorry!
Margaret says
How do you stop it being slimy please?
Tahira Akhtar says
try soaking the oats first
Iosune says
Hi Tahira! Thanks a lot 🙂
Margaret says
thank you!!
Iosune says
Hi Margaret! Wahs the oats really well and add more water if needed 🙂
Margaret says
Thanks a lot!
Nate says
Can you just blend the oats with the soaking water? What is the reason for draining them and adding fresh water?
JAC says
It's about removing the phytic acid I believe, apparently it ends up in the soaking water and blocks or impairs absorption of important minerals, so best to discard in this recipe - apparently if soaking your oats overnight to eat for breakfast soaking in an acid medium will also solve the problem....
Iosune says
Hi Jac! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Iosune says
Hi Nate! The texture is nicer 🙂
Carole says
Hi, do you use old fashioned or quick cooking oat?
Thank you
Iosune says
Hi Carole! I've used both and both work great 🙂
Petra Sedlak says
Great recipe. Simple to make and so much cheaper than bought. Thanks.
Iosune says
Hi Petra! Thanks a lot 🙂
Laura says
Really simple to make ( if you have a blender), saves money and cuts down waste, tastes just as good as shop bought! I was getting really fed up of the plastic lids on oat milk cartons and my local recycling service in Brighton & Hove doesn't pick up tetra packs/ cartons in the communal recycling bins so I have to bag them all up and take them a mile down the road.
So pleased to have found a good recipe for oat milk and going to save the left over oats to put in bread or cake mix or as a thickened as seems a shame to waste them. Oats are so good for your health!
P.s. if your vegan I would suggest getting some vitamin B12 tablets to take as lots of oat milks add this to their milks.
Iosune says
Hi Laura! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂
Sara says
Would an immersion blender work for making oat milk?
Iosune says
Hi Sara! I haven't tried it myself, but I think it could work 🙂
Amanda says
I used an mmersion bblender today, it cream out really creamy and delicious after straining!
Amanda says
Oops sorry..it came out not cream out..typo
anna says
gonna try that recipe. maybe my kids would love that.
Iosune says
Hi Anna! Hope you enjoyed it 🙂